Chapter 13
“Miss Darcy, Colonel Fitzwilliam! Good day!” Bingley said as he entered the drawing room at Netherfield. The colonel, who had risen at the entrance of his host, reached out and was rewarded with a most enthusiastic handshake.
“Thank you,” Richard responded, noting that Bingley, whom he had not seen in more than a year, looked even more pleased with life than when last they met. “I hope you are well, Mr. Bingley?”
Bingley’s expression bloomed into full blown exultation. “Colonel, I could not be better, I could not! Please, you must all congratulate me, for I am engaged to be married!”
The colonel’s eyes darted instantly to his male cousin, who was seated on the most comfortable chair in the room. Darcy’s countenance took on a look of wide eyed distress for a full five seconds before he wrestled his emotions under control, though he did not immediately speak.
Not surprisingly, Colonel Fitzwilliam had a million questions, but he answered Bingley quickly enough that it was not uncomfortable.
“Engaged? I congratulate you indeed! Who is the lucky lady?”
“Her name is Miss Jane Bennet,” Bingley explained with an exultant smile, “though it is I who am lucky, not she. She is quite the most beautiful woman in all of England, as well as the kindest. I could not have found a better woman if I had searched the entire earth.”
Since Georgiana was too shy to speak and Darcy apparently too stunned, Richard took it upon himself to carry the conversation onward.
“Miss Jane Bennet? I met a Miss Elizabeth Bennet, along with her father, only a little while ago. If your fiancée is as charming as her sister, you are fortunate indeed.”
“Oh yes, Mr. Bennet told me that he and Miss Elizabeth – well, I can call her Elizabeth now, as we will soon be brother and sister – met you here! I forgot that in my excitement. Yes, Elizabeth is a most delightful creature though to my admittedly…”
The door opened and a servant entered to announce that supper was ready, and the conversation halted to allow everyone to proceed to the dining room.
Georgiana’s companion, Mrs. Annesley, joined them there and was introduced to Bingley, and once all had taken their seats and the first course had been served, Georgiana, to the surprise of both her male relatives, said, “Mr. Bingley, would you be willing to tell us more about Miss Bennet?”
“Oh, Miss Darcy, I am overjoyed to speak of my love, to the point that I will no doubt grow tedious on the subject. She is a truly handsome lady, blonde and blue eyed and exactly the right height, but her character is her greatest attribute. Jane is kind, forgiving, generous, godly, and peaceable. Do you not agree, Darcy?”
To Richard’s relief, Darcy had recovered sufficiently to speak with, if not enthusiasm, at least courtesy. “Yes, indeed, Miss Bennet is a most gracious and charming lady. Congratulations, Bingley, with all my heart.”
“Thank you, Darcy,” Bingley returned with a grateful glance at his friend, and the colonel realized his host knew that Darcy did not entirely approve of his engagement to Miss Bennet.
“Does Miss Bennet have any other siblings besides Miss Elizabeth?” Georgiana inquired curiously.
“Oh yes, she is the eldest of five daughters, Miss Darcy. Did you meet Elizabeth when she called this afternoon?”
“No, for I was resting, but Fitzwilliam promises me that he will introduce me to her soon.”
Bingley beamed and said, “Yes, and I hope I will be permitted to introduce Jane to you as well, Miss Darcy. They are both remarkable young women, though I confess to finding Elizabeth intimidating at times.”
“In what way?” Richard asked.
“Oh, she has read widely and argues fiercely. She and Darcy have had some remarkable debates, have you not, my friend?”
“She debates you, Brother?” Georgiana asked with wide eyes.
“She does, most cogently,” Darcy returned with a wry smile. “Miss Elizabeth is very intelligent.”
“She is also remarkably energetic,” Bingley added.
“Less than a month ago, my sisters invited Jane here for dinner, and she was caught in a downpour and fell ill. The next morning, since the Bennet carriage was not available, Elizabeth walked from Longbourn to Netherfield in blustery weather in order to care for her sick sister.”
“How far is it to Longbourn?”
“Three miles,” Bingley answered with a pleased chuckle. “I daresay that sounds shocking – Darcy and my sisters were shocked – but Jane and Elizabeth are very close.”
“She sounds marvelous,” Georgiana declared. “I enjoy walking, though not alone of course, but three miles! That is a very long way!”
“Well, she is an inveterate walker. Jane tells me that many mornings Miss Elizabeth is up at dawn and has walked miles along the paths of the Longbourn estate before the rest of the family has even descended from their bedchambers.”
This discourse made Richard glance at Darcy, who looked at him with obvious alarm.
That explained a great deal. It was Miss Elizabeth who had been attacked by Wickham.
Well, that made it all the worse; a servant girl might possibly live a decent life if word got out of the attack, but the entire Bennet family would be ruined at the news that one of the daughters of the house had been compromised.
Fortunately, no one else at the table noticed the silent interplay between the two men, as the ladies and Bingley were focused on happier topics.
“When do you plan to marry, Mr. Bingley?” Georgiana asked with shy interest.
“Well, as to that, I expect that we will marry within the month. We must get through the…”
Bingley trailed off in some discomfort and Darcy, who had reclaimed a calm expression, finished, “The inquest, yes. That will take place on Monday, and I am confident there will be no difficulties.”
“I do hope you are right, Brother,” Georgiana fretted. “How terrible it would be if … if…”
“Please do not worry, my dear sister,” Darcy requested. “We have plenty of evidence that Wickham was a most dishonorable man.”
***
“Oh Elizabeth, I am so happy. To think that he loves me as much as I love him! I am the most fortunate woman in all the world!”
Elizabeth, who was sharing the window seat with her favorite sister in Jane’s bedchamber, leaned over and planted a kiss on her sister’s cheek. “You deserve it, dear one. You truly do.”
“I wish you could be as happy as I am, Elizabeth,” Jane returned, suddenly solemn. “It is truly a glorious thing to be in love, and to be loved, by a kind and godly man.”
To Elizabeth’s surprise, a face flashed into her mind, the face of Fitzwilliam Darcy, his eyes dark with concern, his handsome face gentle.
A moment later, she scolded herself inwardly as she plastered a cheerful expression on her countenance. Mr. Darcy was indeed a fine and intelligent gentleman, but he was not interested in her, of course.
“Well, we shall see, will we not?” she said brightly. “Perhaps in time, God will guide such a gentleman into my path. Of course, I may be very lucky in the next week; perhaps Lady Catherine will give Mr. Collins permission to pay me his addresses.”
Jane, gentle, sweet Jane, actually rolled her eyes and groaned. “Really, Lizzy, I do not care to speak poorly of another, but what a thing to say! A man ought to decide of his own free will whether to offer for a woman or not. This Lady Catherine should hardly be making such a decision for him!”
“That is true enough, though I confess I am most pleased that Mr. Collins thinks that Lady Catherine is coming to Hertfordshire, though truly that seems unlikely. It has thus far spared me from an offer which I would have no hesitation in refusing.”
“Oh you must not marry Mr. Collins,” her sister agreed seriously. “You would be miserable.”
“I will not accept him, but if I am required to turn him down, Mother will be upset as she would like to live at Longbourn after our father dies. Of course, now that you are engaged to a wealthy man, she no longer needs to fear penury in spite of the entail.”
Jane smiled rapturously and said, “Oh yes, I am so thankful for that too! Charles assured me that if necessary, he will ensure that my mother and sisters are well cared for. He is such a generous man!”
“He is,” her sister returned fondly, even as she considered the annoying Mr. Collins.
The clergyman had been oddly quiet of late.
She wondered how long it would take before he realized that his esteemed patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, was not in fact journeying all the way to Hertfordshire to look after her nephew.
Elizabeth hoped the clergyman would refrain from making any kind of declaration to her until the inquest was over.
***
“Colonel Forster?”
Forster, who had risen late on Saturday morning and was just finishing his early coffee and biscuits, looked up at his manservant. “Yes?”
“Sir, a Colonel Fitzwilliam of the Regulars is here to see you.”
Forster’s bushy eyebrows rose in surprise but he said, “Take him into the sitting room and assure him that I will be there shortly.”
The servant withdrew from the small dining parlor of Forster’s small rented house, and the colonel quickly finished his food, brushed off his shirt and trousers, put on his red coat, and marched into the small drawing room where his guest stood waiting in his own red uniform.
“Colonel Fitzwilliam?” he inquired, eyeing the man with interest. His caller looked to be about thirty years of age and while not precisely handsome, was well built and wore an air of authority in his upright figure.
“Colonel Forster,” the other man answered with a slight bow. “I am Colonel Fitzwilliam of His Majesty’s Regulars, First Royal Regiment of Foot. It is an honor to meet you.”